Machine for removal and mounting of covers of the coke oven loading manholes and forsubsequent removal of coal charge around these manholes



1964 I. 1.. NEPOMNIASHTSHY 3, 7

MACHINE FOR REMOVAL AND MOUNTING 0F COVERS OF THE COKE OVEN LOADING MANHOLES AND FOR SUBSEQUENT REMOVAL OF COAL CHARGE AROUND mas}: MANHOLES Filed July 31, 1961 e Sheets-Sheet 1 1964 l. L. NEPOMNIASHTSHY 3,160,573

MACHINE FOR REMOVAL AND MOUNTING OF COVERS OF THE COKE OVEN LOADING MANHOLES AND FOR SUBSEQUENT REMOVAL OF COAL CHARGE AROUND THESE MANHOLE-S 6 sheets-sheet? Filed July 31, 1961 1964 l. L. NEPOMNIASHTSHY 6 MACHINE FOR REMOVAL AND MOUNTING OF COVERS OF THE COKE OVEN LOADING MANHOLES AND FOR SUBSEQUENT REMOVAL OF COAL CHARGE AROUND THESE MANHOLES Filed July 31. 1961 6 Sheets-Sheet 5 1954 L. NEPOMNIASHTSHY 3,160,573

MACHINE FOR REMOVAL AND MOUNTING OF COVERS OF THE COKE OVEN LOADING MANHOLES AND FOR SUBSEQUENT REMOVAL OF coAL CHARGE AROUND mas}: MANHOLES Filed July 51, 1961 s sheets-sheet 4 H E [I] H E J U 72 33 75 45 F/Q 40 34 37 r a f3 76 47 g 25 29 L i E 7 I 3 5 5 25 5 .Inuh gmmmfimnml gfi;unlrmlmmm fi- 3 "xJ Ill 1. WW I! 1964 I. L. NEPOMNIASHTSHY 7 MACHINE FOR REMOVAL AND MOUNTING OF COVERS OF THE COKE OVEN LOADING MANHOLES AND FOR SUBSEQUENT REMOVAL OF COAL CHARGE AROUND THESE MANHQLES Filed July 31, 1961 6 Sheets-Sheet 5 W1 a W 1964 NEPOMNIASHTSHY 3,160,573

MACHINE FOR REMOVAL AND MOUNTING 0F COVERS OF THE COKE OVEN LOADING MANHOLES AND FOR sussaqmm'r REMOVAL OF- com. CHARGE AROUND was}; MANHOLES Filed July 31, 1961 e Sheets-Sheet e United States Patent 3 its 573 meme non nnMvAL AND Momma on covnns on ran Conn ovEN manner; h iAN- norns AND non sense-apnea" nnniovnr. on

COAL CHARGE AROUND TEESE it riQLES Igor Lazarevieh Nepomniashtshy, Staiino, USSR The present invention relates to a machine for removal and mounting of covers for coke oven loading manholes and for subsequent removal of coal from around these manholes.

Removal and mounting of covers for coke oven loading manholes and subsequent removal of coal is one of the most difiicult and unhealthy operations, owing to the fact that such operations are carried out at a high temperature and in an atmosphere of noxious gases, containing coke and coal dust.

Attempts have been previously made to mechanize such operations and, in particular, various machines for removal and installation of covers for coke oven manholes and subsequent removal of coal from around the manholes have been proposed.

The prior art machines comprise a self-aligning scraper mechanism for coal removal and a mechanism for the gripping of the manhole cover, both driven by a reducing gear coupled with a driving shaft and fastened on a tube movable in vertical 'rection which has pins entering into slots of a fixed guide, thus ensuring turn ing of the tube during travel.

The above-mentioned machines cannot, however, ensure complete mechanization of all necessary operations during loading of the coke oven with coal, as they cannot remove the coal from around the manholes to a necessary extent and do not include a reliable mechanism for the manhole cover gripping means, which will faultlessly operate in cases of cover Warping, and at a sufficient range of deviations of the cover axis from the grip axis.

The aim of the present invention is to create an improved machine intended for removal and mounting of covers for coke oven loading manholes and subsequent removal of coal from around these manholes which will serve to mechanize all the operations connected with the removal and installation of the manhole covers, cleaning and grinding of the packing surfaces of the covers and manhole frames, as well as with the removal of coal remaining around the manholes after the oven loading.

Another aim of the said invention is the improvement of coal charge removal from around the loading manholes. The above-rnentioned aim is attained by means of nozzles mounted on the scrapers intended for the charge removal. These nozzles are connected with a pipeline which feeds compressed air to them.

The next aim of the present invention is attainment of such a grip for the loading manhole cover, which would successfully act in cases where the cover is warped or where its axis deviates from that of the grip, this being ensured by the fact that the manhole cover grip mechanism is coupled with the reducing gear by means compensating for such variations.

One more aim of the present invention is extension of the grip action range and provision of all necessary operations from a single arrangement of coal unloading car; for this purpose the machine is provided with a ball hanger and spring bracings by means of which the machine is suspended on the coal unloading car.

Further objects and advantages of the invention will 3,166,573 Fatented Dec. 8, 1964 be apparent from the following description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings wherein:

FIG. 1 shows general front view .of the machine.

FIG. 2 shows side view of the machine.

FIG. 3 shows top elevation view of the machine.

FIG. 4 shows kinematic diagram of the machine drive.

FIG. 5 shows kinematic diagram of the machine.

FIG. 6 shows design of the manhole cover grip mechanism.

FIG. tion.

The machine is installed on a coal unloading car on the ball hanger with four spring bracings. Each machine is intended for servicing a single manhole, therefore number of machines installed on one coal unloading car should correspond to the quantity of bunkers mounted on the said car.

The machine accomplishes the following operations in a predeterrninated technological sequence:

(1) Engagement of the grip mechanism with the cover.

(2) Tearing away of the cover.

(3) Removal of the cover while simultaneously hoisting and moving it aside.

(4) Removal of the coal from around the loading manhole.

(5) Sinking, turning and installation of the cover into the frame.

(6) Cleaning of the tightening surface of the manhole frame.

(7) Cleaning of the tightening surface of the cover.

(8) Grinding of the tightening surfaces of the cover to the frame.

The machine (FIGS. 1, 2 and 3) has a drive 1, a ball hanger 2, a telescopic mechanism 3, a frame 4, a reducing gear '5, a mechanism 6 for gripping of the manhole cover and the scraper mechanism 7 intended for removal of the coal.

The drive 1 (FIG. 4) comprises an electric motor 8 coupled by means of a flexible coupling with the twostage worm reducing gear 10.

For the purpose of rapid and exact fixing of the movable parts of the machine the drive is provided with a electromagnetic brake 11.

A cam-type control mechanism 12 is used for auto mation of machine monitoring, which is coupled with worm reducing gear 16 and Worm shaft 13.

The vertical shaft 14 of the Worm-type reducing gear 10 (FIG. 5) is connected by means of articulated coupling 15 with the vertical driving shaft 16 of the telescopic mechanism 3, thereby driving the gears of the cylindrical reducing gear 5 by means of a splined coupling 17, the reducing gear being supported on a tubular stem 13 movable in vertical direction.

The mechanism 6 of the manhole cover grip (FIGS. 5, 6) is suspended on one end of reducing gear 5; the said mechanism comprises a catcher 19 and a grip 20 and is connected by means of flexible, e.g., catenary suspensions 21 with the end gar wheel of reducing gear 5 and by links 22 with yoke 23, coupled by means of a splined shaft 24 with the universal joint 25 together with gear wheel 26 of the reducing gear 5.

On the other end of reducing gear 5 a scraper mechanism 7, intended for removal of the coal around the manhole and comprising: scrapers 27, nozzles 28 and a lever system 29, carrying the said scrapers 27, is installed.

A spring buffer 30 intended for holding reducing gear 5 at its downward travel in suspended stage, is installed on machine frame 4.

At the outer end of horizontal shaft 31 of the second worm pair of the two-stage reducing gear a crank 32 is installed, driving connecting rod 33. This rod 33 has 7 shows diagram, explaining the machine operaa slot 34 on its end which receives a stud on lever 35 which is fastened by means of keys on shaft 35 which in turn is mounted on two bearings 37 of frame 4. A lever 38 is rigidly mounted on the shaft 36 and is pivotally connected with two links 39, which in turn are pivotaliy connected with the telescopic mechanism 3. The tubular stem 18 supports the telescopic mechanism 3 on ball bearings 3%. A pin 41 having a roller thereon is rigidly fastened to, the above-mentioned stem 18. The roller is received in a profile recess of the telescopic mechanism supporting guide 42.

The said supporting guide 42 is rigidly fastened to the lower frame part 4. For the purpose of guiding pin 41 and the roller into the slot of supporting guide .2 and for turning tubular stem 18 upon upward or downward movement, there is employed a friction coupling which consists of a conical half-coupling 43 fastened on tubular stem 18, a second half-coupling 44 and a spring 45 arranged between the articulated coupling 15 and the conical halfcoupling 44.

The lever 46 with a roller at the end serves for putting into operation the scraper mechanism 7 for removal of the coal. When reducing gear 5 is approaching the loading manhole axis, the said lever comes in contact with a stationary stop which turns the lever for the necessary angle.

The machine is suspended on ball hanger 2 and on spring hracings 4'7, 48.

Travel of the movable machine parts includin (tubular stem 18 reducing gearS, mechanism 6 for the manhole cover grip and scraper machinism 7 for removal of the coal) is accomplished with the aid of crank 32 connected by a system of levers and links with tubular stem 18.

Since tubular stem 18 with pin 41 moves relative to the stationary guide 42, having a profile slot, the said stem 18 is rotated the required amount to ensure alignand, simultaneously, turn to 60, thus locating the cover grip mechanism along the manhole axis.

In this instance the spring buffer 3i) receives the load of the movable machine parts.

Upon further rotation of crank 32 from position II to position HI the downward motion of stem 18 with reducing gear 5 and with the grip mechanism is stopped, however its rotary motion continues. Simultaneously, the grip mechanism is engaged with the loading manhole cover and starts to rotate it. After three-four turns of the cover it is detached from the manhole frame.

When the crank 32 moves from position III to position I, the cover is hoisted and the grip mechanism with the cover is moved aside.

After execution of the above-mentioned operations, the loading of the coke Oven with coal begins.

After finishing the oven loading electric drive 1 is started for removal of the coal around the manhole. For this purpose, downward movement and rotation of stem 18 with reducing gear 5 again occurs. However, pin 41 of stem 18 now moves in another slot of the guide, and as a result the scraper mechanism for the coal removal is positioned over the manhole. During this operation the roller of lever 46 comes in contact with the rigid support as a result of which the said lever 46 moves and initiates operation of the removal mechanism while scrapers 27 with nozzles 28, under the action of dead weight, engage the coke oven surface. Rotation of the scrapers removes the coal left after loading of the coke oven. After a half-turn of the scrapers, delivery of air to the nozzles 28 is automatically started and compresed air blows off the remainder of the coal into the loading manhole. When rotation of the scrapers is stopped, delivery of air is also terminated.

During operation of the coal removal mechanism, all

' the parts of the machine moving in a vertical direction ment of the grip mechanism or the coal removal mechanism along the loading manhole axis.

The spring butfer 30 takes the weight of all vertically moving parts and thus only the weight of the grip mechanism is applied to the manhole cover, thus considerably facilitating operation of this mechanism.

Design of the two-stage reducing gear 149, which has a common vertical shaft 14- both for the Worm wheel of the first worm pair and for the worm of the second worm pair, provides for simultaneously rotating some parts of the machine (cover grip mechanism, charge removal mechanism) and for vertically moving the rest (telescopic mechanism).

Design of the two-stage reducing gear It) also provides for synchroniz ng the operations of rotating the manhole cover grip and the coal removal mechanism with the vertical movements.

The said features of the reducing gear make the machine drive very compact and reliable in operation.

Design of the manhole cover grip mechanism provides means to remove and mount the manhole covers and to carry out other operations without any supplementary rearrangements of the coal unloading car, i.e. to perform all the necessary operations from the car position, at which the coke oven loading is carried out.

When the crank 32 is in position I (FIG. 7), the parts of the machine which move vertically are in the extreme upper position.

The above-mentioned position I is the initial one for the macihne and permits the coal unloading car to move freely above the coke oven.

When crank 32 of the driving reducing gear 10 is initiating movement of the machine parts into initial position, the conic half-coupling 43 mounted on tubular stem 18 approaches the upper conic half-coupling 44 and displaces it upwards, compressing spring 45 and engaging the friction coupling.

When the electric motor 8 is started for removal of the cover, crank 32 shifts from position I to position II, as a result of which tubular stem 18 begins to move down are held in suspended state with the aid of pin 41, resting upon a stationary guide.

The crank 32, due to lost motion provided by the slot 34 in link 33, does not transmit an elevating force to the telescopic mechanism during operation of the coal removal mechanism.

At the subsequent motion of the crank from position III to position I there takes place upward movement and turning of the telescopic mechanism with reducing gear 5 together with mechanisms mounted on it, and the roller of lever 46 moves aside from the stationary support causing the scrapers to take their initial position under the action of springs.

After removal of the coal, the electric motor 8 is started for installation of the cover. During this operation the parts move downwardly and turn, and the cover grip. mechanism starts to rotate. The manhole cover is installed into the frame, and by reason of its rotation, accomplishes cleaning and grinding of the sealing surfaces of the cover and frame.

When the crank reaches position III, it is reversed by means of electric motor a; and the grip mechanism, being disengaged from the cover, is not lifted but, by reason of its opposite rotation, engages the cover stops and rotates the cover in the opposite direction, making three-four turns.

Such design of the machine, providing rotation of the manhole cover in both directions, considerably improves the cleaning of the sealing surfaces of the manhole cover and frame and ensures proper sealing between the cover and frame thus eliminating manual operations.

At the subsequent rotation of the crank from position 11 to position III the grip mechanism is raised, then is moved out of the way.

This operation concludes the complete cycle of machine performance.

Machine operation control is accomplished from the engine-driver cab by means of remote control push-buttons.

To facilitate the labour of engine-driver and to eliminate damages interlocking means is provided in the electric control circuit to prevent movement of the coal unloading car while the machine is in operation; to prevent machine operation in cases when the coal unloading car is not located along the axis of the oven and to permit machine operation only after delivery of coal to the oven.

It will be obvious to those skilled in the art that various changes may be made in the invention without departing from the spirit and scope thereof and therefore the invention is not limited by that which is shown in the drawings and described in the specification, but only as indicated in the appended claims.

What I claim is:

1. A machine for removing and replacing manhole covers and for removal of excess coal from around the manhole cover opening of coke ovens, said machine comprising a frame suspended from a coal bar, a horizontal arm mounted on the lower end of said frame, a cover removing and rotating mechanism on one end of said arm and including means for gripping the cover, scraping and cleaning means including air blast nozzles on the opposite end of said arm, gear means on said arm for rotating said removing and rotating mechanism and for rotating said scraping and cleaning means, power driven means for raising and lowering said arm, for sequentially positioning said removing and rotating mechanism and said scraping and cleaning means in alignment with'lthe manhole and for rotating said removing and rotating mechanism and said scraping and cleaning means and means for controlling the operation of said machine and the supply of air to said nozzles.

2. A machine as defined in claim 1, in which said cover removing and rotating mechanism is suspended from said arm by a universal joint and by a vertically slidable coupling to compensate for variations in cover height and position.

3. A machine as defined in claim 1, in which the scrap ers of said scraping and cleaning means are movably mounted to compensate for variations in the surface around the manhole.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS' 2,981,423 Randall et al Apr. 25, 1961 2,986,758 Randall'et al June 6, 1961 OTHER REFERENCES Nepomniashtshiy: Byulleten izobreteniy, 1959, No.

2, page 19 (U.S.S.R.). 

1. A MACHINE FOR REMOVING AND REPLACING MANHOLE COVERS AND FOR REMOVAL OF EXCESS COAL FROM AROUND THE MANHOLE COVER OPENING OF COKE OVENS, SAID MACHINE COMPRISING A FRAME SUSPENDED FROM A COAL BAR, A HORIZONTAL ARM MOUNTED ON THE LOWER END OF SAID FRAME, A COVER REMOVING AND ROTATING MECHANISM ON ONE END OF SAID ARM AND INCLUDING MEANS FOR GRIPPING THE COVER, SCRAPING AND CLEANING MEANS INCLUDING AIR BLAST NOZZLES ON THE OPPOSITE END OF SAID ARM, GEAR MEANS ON SAID ARM FOR ROTATING SAID REMOVING AND ROTATING MECHANISM AND FOR ROTATING SAID SCRAPING AND CLEANING MEANS, POWER DRIVEN MEANS FOR RAISING AND LOWERING SAID ARM, FOR SEQUENTIALLY POSITIONING SAID REVMOING AND ROTATING MECHANISM AND SAID SCRAPING AND CLEANING MEANS I ALIGNMENT WITH THE MANHOLE AND FOR ROTATING SAID REMOVING AND ROTATING MECHANISM AND SAID SCRAPING AND CLEANING MEANS AND MEANS FOR CONTROLLING THE OPERATION OF SAID MACHINE AND THE SUPPLY OF AIR TO SAID NOZZLES. 